Back on Track
by chicmns
Summary: Family issues in the Trager family take center stage after Lori's assault and recovery.


"**Back on Track"** a "Kyle XY" story by Chicmns

This is my first "Kyle XY" story, so please review! I really love this show, and was inspired to write after the last episode.

A/N: Takes place almost a week after the events of "What's the Frequency, Kyle?" Lori is healing from the attack, and things once again seem to be getting back to normal in the Trager household. On a Friday morning as the Tragers sat down for a rare group breakfast before school, work, and life in general intrudes, Lori decides to wrap up some "unfinished business."

The sounds of dishes and silverware clattering and the occasional comment—usually a smart-aleck one from Josh—framed the breakfast. No one seemed to notice that Lori was quieter than usual … even refraining from responding to Josh's teasing as she usually did in her usual witty, snarky manner. She paid closer than usual attention to her plate, and during a lull in conversation, she decided to do what she'd been planning since waking up; coincidentally, the first day since the attack that she didn't wake up with any pain from her rapidly fading bruises.

Putting her fork down after polishing off one of her mom's incredible pancakes, she let out a sigh … gaining everyone's attention.

"Okay, everyone … there are some things I need to say, and I need to do this right now," she blurted out.

The other four people at the table looked at each other with a mixture of curiosity and worry; after all, their lives never seemed to just go normally. When the usually self-possessed daughter of Steven and Nicole Trager made announcements like that, well … the planet usually felt as if it stopped rotating. Lori's hands were in her lap, and there was a … pensive look on her face that drew everyone's attention. Lori Trager wasn't often "pensive."

"What is it, sweetie?" her dad Steven asked in a concerned voice. He put his utensils down, and everyone else followed suit … giving Lori their full attention.

"First, I know everyone's been bugged by my 'Wonder Woman' routine ever since I came home from the hospital, and I just wanted to say I'm sorry—you're all worried about me, and I just blew it off." Josh snorted.

"Don't sweat it, sis … you bug everyone in general, so no big—" Josh was stopped by the glare burning into him from both parents, and the frown on Kyle's face.

"Josh—" Nicole started, but Lori raised her hand.

"It's OK, Mom … he can't help it."

If she didn't have everyone's attention before, she did now—that was the first time in a very long time anyone could remember Lori preventing Josh from being put in his place. The rivalry and teasing between the two was legendary.

Before anyone else could interrupt, Lori continued in a quiet voice.

"I really, really appreciate how everyone's been taking care of me; I promise."

Steven and Nicole exchanged a look.

"We know, Lori. You've been through so much, and we're very proud of the way you've worked through this," her mom told her … reaching over to squeeze Lori's arm.

Lori was perfectly still for a moment, and then slowly rose from her chair … moving to stand next to her mom. Leaning down, she did something she rarely initiated since she'd left her pre-teen years behind. She hugged her mom.

"You've been great … you gave me space to deal with everything, and didn't try to make me talk all the time. It was exactly what I needed, and I still can't get over how you always seem to know exactly what to do, what any of us needs. I hope I'm half as good as you are, when I have kids of my own," Lori whispered into her neck. Nicole's eyes suddenly got very teary as they found Steven's from across the table, and she hugged her daughter back.

"You're my daughter, my girl … and you have no idea how much I love you," Nicole told Lori. Both women briefly closed their eyes, still hugging … as the Trager men looked on. Finally, Lori reluctantly left her mom, and glided over to where her dad sat.

Leaning down to wrap her arms around his large shoulders and powerful neck, she breathed deeply for a moment … taking in the comforting, manly scent of her father. It occurred to her that she'd avoided, or drifted away, from her parents a little too much recently in her search for independence, and herself; she decided that she'd change that right away,

"Dad, I know I said that you needed to stop watching over me so much while I slept … but the truth is, I was still shaken and scared. Except when I knew you were within reach; I wouldn't have slept much at all, if you hadn't been there. I'm sorry; I should have been honest and told you that, instead of being so mean and telling you to stop."

Steven squeezed her arms, reaching up to gently caress her face.

"You think I didn't know my daughter was afraid, and shaken up? You were going to be stuck with me making sure you were in my sight, and sleeping OK—whether you wanted me there or not. That's my job, Lori. When you kids hurt, we hurt," he told her, glancing at Nicole who nodded before returning his loving brown eyes to Lori's. "And I also knew you needed to _see_ me there—not to nag you, or ask you how you're feeling every five seconds … but just to be there, in your sight. I'll always be there for you, Lori—it's really important to me that you know that."

Lori's face was wet by then, and she wiped a hand across her cheek before answering.

"I do, Dad … I've always known that, and I'll never forget it. I love you."

"I love you, too, 'bunny rabbit,'" he whispered … not wanting to overly embarrass her with his use of his old "pet name" for her … a name he hadn't called her in years. Lori gasped when she heard him say it, her cheeks flushing more with pleasure than embarrassment. A long look passed between them, then; a connection that had been there, but ignored for too long was back.

Father and daughter exchanged a grin full of meanings, and then Lori left him … slowly approaching her little brother—who was nervously holding up both hands.

"No hugs, please—even _with_ Andie's tutoring, I'm not sure I could stand the shock!" he protested. Instead of touching him, Lori came within a foot, and kneeled next to his chair … her eyes locked on his.

"All I wanted to tell you, Josh, was that I thought you were very eloquent when we were talking at school the other day. Thank you." Josh watched his sister's face, never seeing her look so earnest before; well, except for the night Kyle came back home.

The rest of the family had no idea what Lori was referring to, but he did. It was the conversation they'd had in the school hallway, when she'd accused him of avoiding her. He had been, true … but not for the reasons she may have been thinking of. When he tried to explain it to her, about his anger and helplessness at what had been done to her … her only instinct was to hug him. But, true to his nature, Josh avoided it, turning the talk into a joke and a dig on the shirt she'd been wearing.

She gently smiled as she saw the memory of that moment come to his face. That was his weird, 'little brother' way of telling her he loved her … they both knew it. She was content with that; she never doubted their bond, even when they fought.

She pretended, for his sake, to use his shoulder for support as she straightened up from kneeling next to him … the warmth of her hand and the gentle pressure of the light squeeze she gave him conveying more to him than she could say. As she turned away, the rest of the family was shocked to see his hand reach up to briefly touch hers just before her hand left his shoulder. Lori herself was fairly tactile by nature, but Josh … wasn't. He rarely shied away from physical contact; but rarely initiated it, either.

Which made his gesture all the more surprising; especially since it was for Lori.

Before everyone could recover from the "shock" of what they'd just seen … Lori had reached Kyle's chair. The look of foreboding on his face was almost comical; Kyle had already proven his courage and bravery many times since he'd come into the Tragers' lives … whether it was protecting Josh from the school bully, pursuing a burglar from Amanda's house, or running into a burning building to save a girl … no one who knew Kyle Trager doubted his intestinal fortitude.

The only person who seemed to intimidate him … was Lori.

Maybe it was because she seemed to live her life on feelings and intuition, as opposed to the logical, science-oriented view that Kyle usually took towards anything he encountered. Or, maybe it was her calm self-assurance that threw him … since he sometimes found it difficult to come up with his own.

Whatever it was, their relationship had taken quite a turn from when he'd first been brought home by Nicole to stay with them—at the time, for only a few days. Lori had barely acknowledged him then … and found ways to avoid him the rest of the time.

Then … one night, he'd followed her to a party. A party she wasn't supposed to be at, and one where she got quite drunk, almost getting arrested … until Kyle stepped in.

Lori didn't remember much of that night afterward, instead relying on her friend Hillary's recall—and her own weird dream in which she'd been carried all the way home, and to her room, by Kyle.

Until Hilary confirmed it, she'd thought that the half-memories were alcohol-induced. Then, she started hearing about the other things Kyle did at that party …

… and how he'd protected her from that cop.

She didn't know why he'd done what he did, and a small part of her had been furious with him for following her in the first place.

But, when she thought about what _could_ have happened to her, that night … her fury disappeared, along with her distance from this strange, different, and very sweet boy who'd become like a brother to her.

She and Kyle had grown closer ever since. Like her mother, she'd been devastated when his real parents had shown up, and taken him away from them. Lori felt shame when she'd heard about their deaths; because the thought that she'd gotten Kyle back as a result had made her happy. She couldn't help it; she'd missed him … more than she'd ever thought she would. She'd felt … complete again, after he'd casually walked back into their house that evening several months ago.

But now the shame of how she'd treated him the other morning returned … when she woke up to find him standing guard at her door, like a sentinel keeping her safe from any harm.

What had she done? Thanked him?—no. Instead, she'd tongue-lashed him with her "so-called" wit.

She could barely meet his eyes ever since … and when she did, all she saw was his love and concern for her, and a look that told her he felt somehow responsible for what had happened. He always did—whether it was logical or not.

Now she stood next to his chair … watching him as he held up both hands.

"I didn't do anything, Lori—I swear," he protested.

What happened next shocked everyone.

Lori's face suddenly darkened, her hair fell over her eyes … and she burst into tears.

Steven started to rise, intending to go to his daughter—when he was halted by a raised hand from Nicole, who was watching Lori intently. Kyle, though, had sprung up to stand next to her … pulling her into his arms. Her arms circled his neck, getting wet from her torrent of tears.

"I'm sorry, Kyle—I didn't mean it—", she choked out, gasping for breath. Kyle pulled her closer to him, and started rubbing her back. "What do you mean, Lori?" he whispered, confused.

"The—the other morning, when you were watching over me, and I was _so_ mean to you—I'm really sorry! Please don't be mad at me!" Steven and Josh glanced at Nicole, looking for cues … and she slowly shook her head in their direction, hoping they wouldn't rush to Lori's side just yet. Lori's outburst, while surprising, was not totally unexpected to Nicole. She'd believed that at some point, Lori's roiling emotions over her attack would slip past her control, finally getting out … and she'd wondered and worried what form or outlet that would take. Nicole didn't believe Lori really thought Kyle was upset with her; that just wasn't in Kyle's gentle nature at all. So, there was some … transference going on. The best way to help Lori, Nicole knew, was to let her focus on Kyle continue to be her emotional release.

Nicole knew that Kyle's calm, gentle nature had always reassured Lori when she was upset about something; she knew, for instance, that Kyle had helped her tremendously when Lori was struggling with her relationship with Declan, and that he'd been her main source of encouragement when she sang in public. No … she had to let this play out, with the rest of the family standing by if needed.

"I'm not mad at you, Lori … I'm sorry for bugging you like that. I guess I just felt a little guilty—" Kyle spoke to Lori in his soothing voice. Lori jerked her head from his neck, to stare at him.

"Stop it—_right now_, Kyle. For _God's_ sake … how can you blame yourself for what happened? You can't protect me all the time, and you _know_ it. You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one at fault. You were just being kind, and sweet … and I threw it back in your face. I should have apologized right away, but you'd walked off … and Dad was there—"

Kyle shook his head.

"It's OK, Lori. I was worried about you. I needed to know you were safe and sleeping all right. I think Steven did, too…" and Steven nodded at them both when they turned to look his way. "The attack," Kyle went on, "shook us all up. Your friends, too. It's … this big thing we all have to figure out how to deal with. Mine was standing watch over you. If I could have stopped it from happening to you, I would have."

Lori studied his face for a moment, and nodded. He would have, she knew. If it meant standing between her and her attacker, or taking the blow meant for her … he would have, without hesitating. She knew all that; knew it with certainty.

His next words made her cry again.

"You're my sister, Lori—there's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

Lori stared at him. She heard her mom give a little gasp, and knew that if she turned to look at her … they'd both start bawling like babies. Her own waterworks had started again, and all she could do was throw herself back into Kyle's arms again … resting her head on his shoulder as she finally let all the stress and emotions she didn't know what to do with go.

A minute or two later, as she regained some semblance of control … she felt herself being led back to her chair by Kyle, who kept a comforting arm wrapped around her every step of the way. As she sank back into the chair with a sigh, he handed her a couple of tissues for her face. Glancing up at him with a watery smile, she nodded her thanks … then froze in surprise and pleasure when he leaned down to kiss the top of her head, before returning to his seat.

"Feeling better, sweetheart?" Steven asked, smiling at her nod while pouring her more orange juice for her glass. He tilted his head at her plate. "Good. You should try to finish breakfast before you three leave for school. And, don't forget, guys … your mom and I will be gone till Sunday. Josh—are you still on with that thing at Andie's house?"

"It's not a 'thing,' Dad—we're having a bunch of people hook up at her place, to pounce on her wireless and play some serious round robin death match online games!" Josh explained with a roll of his eyes. "I'll be back Saturday night."

"By 10PM, Josh," Nicole warned him … not wanting to have him out driving so late.

"Yes, Warden—I mean, _Mom_ …" he whiningly replied. Nicole tilted her head at him, glaring.

"Ok, ok … 10PM on the dot. Jeeze …"

She bestowed a mini-glare on her youngest son, before finally turning to her oldest son.

Nicole smiled at the thought.

"Kyle? Any plans for the weekend?" Kyle finished the last of his juice before answering … shaking his head in reply.

"Declan and I are going to play some ball after school, then he's off to a basketball camp for the weekend. Amanda and her mom won free tickets to a spa down the coast, so they're gone for the weekend as well," he sighed. Lori watched him, and immediately saw "Amanda look #1" appear on his face; which meant he'd be especially missing her. "So, I guess I'm home tonight."

"Lori?" he dad asked, finishing off the last link of sausage on his plate.

"Me, too—I mean, Declan's gone, and Hillary's still dealing with some, um … 'women's' issues"—at that, Josh grimaced, but wisely stayed silent—"so I guess I'll keep Kyle out of trouble tonight." She glanced at him, and chuckled when he rolled his eyes.

"We'll leave some money for dinner tonight," her mom said, starting to gather the empty plates for the dishwasher.

"No need, Mom—I was thinking. If Kyle doesn't mind playing 'guinea pig,' I was going to try my hand at spaghetti. Been a while since I've tried to cook anything--"

"—well, the Health department _was_ quite insistent, sis," Josh tossed in—only to suddenly find a piece of melon on his face from Lori's plate. Everyone laughed, including Josh.

"I love spaghetti—sure, let's do it!" Kyle told Lori.

"You two will have to go shopping after school, then … we're out of pasta, and I won't have a chance to go before you dad and I leave tonight," she told them. Kyle turned to Josh.

"Josh—drop us at the store after school on your way to Andie's?" Josh shrugged.

"Sure thing—you two gotta ride in the back, though—Dad's seatbelt rule, remember? The front passenger one still doesn't lock properly."

"I'll help you fix it on Sunday—deal?" Kyle asked him.

"Deal, bro!"

The three kids quickly gathered their things and headed off for school in Josh's car. Steven and Nicole watched them drive off.

"You think she's OK?" he asked her.

"Yeah … she needed to let a lot out; if she hadn't, I would still be worried. Kyle was great with her—they'll talk some more tonight, I'm sure … and she'll be even better when we get back."

"Wow—now you've got Kyle doing your work for you--must be nice!"

She gave him a fake glare.

"Shouldn't you be heading to work, so you can have enough money to take proper care of me?"

"Planning on doing _that_ tonight, dear," he threw over his shoulder as he went in search of his briefcase and jacket.

She laughed, fondly watching his back as she thought about her wonderful family. Everyone was OK, getting back on track … and they had Kyle for good.

Life was good.

THE END.


End file.
